Sitting in the Pumpkin Patch With My Sweet Baboo
by iloveromance
Summary: A whole year has passed since Sally spent Halloween in the pumpkin patch with Linus, waiting for the Great Pumpkin. This year, she's determined to make up for missing out on the Halloween party and trick-or-treating. But somewhere along the way, she realizes there is something more important... or rather, someone. A follow up to "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."
1. Chapter 1

A whole year had passed. She was a year older; no longer a student of Miss Othmar's, but Mrs. Reynolds. Charlie Brown was a year older too. Soon he and Sally wouldn't even be going to the same school! What was she going to do then? She shuddered and tried not to think about it.

Instead she looked around the cafeteria and smiled. There he was, sitting across from her big brother. They were the only ones at the table. No one liked her brother and she couldn't figure out why. He was a sort of okay baseball player. It wasn't his fault that his team lost every game. Not all of it was his fault, anyway. But she wondered if that was why no one would sit by him. No one except for Linus, that was.

She sighed dreamily. Her sweet Baboo was so wonderful. But she couldn't help noticing how sad he looked. Come to think of it, it seemed like he'd been sad for a long, long time. Ever since….

She thought back to last Halloween, when she and Linus had spent Halloween night in the pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin. Not only had the Great Pumpkin not come, but Sally missed out on everything; tricks or treats and the Halloween party. Not to mention cookies and money and candy apples and gum! She cringed just thinking about it. It was too horrible for words. But she was still thinking about it when she went back to her class.

That afternoon, Mrs. Reynolds handed out materials for the class project; orange and black construction paper, glue, scissors and crayons. Sally didn't have to guess what the art project was going to be.

It was the middle of October and that could only mean one thing. Halloween was right around the corner and they were going to make pumpkins to hang on the wall. They could decorate them any way they wanted with their crayons. She was so excited and she couldn't wait to get started on it.

But when she looked across the room and saw Linus sitting at his desk, just staring sadly at his art project materials, she put down her scissors and stared at him. Suddenly making a construction paper pumpkin decorated with crayons didn't sound fun anymore. Her heart just wasn't in it.


	2. Chapter 2

Halloween preparations were in full swing. Everywhere she looked, there were Halloween decorations. Even Snoopy got into the act, prancing around his dog house, dressed as the World War I Flying Ace. Where on earth did he get that costume anyway?

At the bus stop and at school, kids were chatting excitedly about going trick or treating and then to Violet's Halloween party. The one, they assured her, was going to be even bigger and better than last year's. When her brother told her that she was invited, Sally jumped up and down and clapped her hands, unable to stand her excitement.

"Oh boy, oh boy, really?"

"Sure Sally. And you can dress in any costume you want!"

"Can I be a cat? Or a princess? Or even-."

"You can be anything on Halloween!" Lucy pointed out, in true Lucy fashion.

"So I get to come to the party and go trick or treating?"

"Sure Sally." Her brother replied. "I'll even help you since this will be your first time trick or treating and going to the Halloween party.

"Help, shmelp!" Lucy said. "It's easy! All you gotta do is walk up to the door, ring the doorbell and say tricks or treats!"

Sally's eyes winded. "Are you sure it's legal?"

"Of course it's legal!"

She jumped up and down and clapped her hands. She could hardly wait till Halloween.


	3. Chapter 3

The 31st finally came. Sally was so excited to wear her superhero costume to school. It was pink and purple and a white cape with a big gold "S" on it. She knew that all of the other girls would be wearing the kind of costumes that little girls always wore; those of princesses, fairies, and mermaids. But Sally was sure that she would be the only superhero. She couldn't wait for everyone to see it!

The moment she entered her classroom, the compliments began. Even some of the boys made comments on her costume (the good kind of comments); all of the boys except for Linus of course. She didn't really expect him to say anything anyway, but she couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

Later on the playground when all of the other kids had lost interest in her superhero costume, she casually walked over to Linus. Instead of playing with the other kids, Linus was sitting on a bench all by himself, sulking. She took a deep breath, preparing herself to talk to him, but she was strangely a little nervous. What was wrong with her? She'd spoken to Linus at least a hundred times!

"Hi, Linus."

He looked over briefly and then looked away. "Hi."

When he didn't say anything else, she sat down beside him. "Whadda ya doin', Linus?"

"Nothin."

She tried again. "What are you going to be for Halloween?"

"Myself."

His answer made her laugh until her stomach hurt. Whomever heard of going as yourself for Halloween? Linus always said the cutest things. But suddenly she realized that he wasn't laughing.

Something wasn't right.

And so she tried again. "Are you going to sit in the pumpkin patch and wait for the Great Pumpkin this year?"

"No."

This was certainly strange. "Well what about trick or treating? Or Violet's Halloween party?"

"I'm just going to stay at home tonight. I have plenty of things to do."

Now she was very worried.

"But Linus-."

"I have to go, Sally. The bell is ringing."

To her dismay, Linus hopped off of the bench and ran toward the school, leaving her completely confused.


	4. Chapter 4

That night, Sally stood in the living room with Charlie Brown. She was wearing her superhero costume and Charlie Brown was a ghost. The sheet over his head was full of holes. Once again he'd had a little trouble with the scissors.

Always the good brother, Charlie Brown explained to Sally the ins and outs of trick or treating-and he did a much better job than Lucy! And then he handed Sally a bag.

"What's this?" She asked, glancing at the bag in confusion.

"To collect candy as you go door to door." Charlie Brown explained. "Are you ready to go?"

Eagerly Sally nodded and clutched the bag tightly in her hand and then followed Charlie Brown out of the house. They were joined by Lucy, who was dressed in her famous witch costume. Schroeder was dressed as Beethoven -whoever that was. Must have been someone important the way Schroeder talked about him all the time.

Violet was a princess, wearing a beautiful dress in a shade of what else, violet? The fact that Violet was w3earing the same color as her name made Sally laugh. Last but not least, hiding under the dirtiest sheet that Sally had ever seen was, of course, Pig Pen, who was completely surprised that everyone knew that it was really him.

"All right, where's the first house?" Sally asked. She was more than a little eager to get the Halloween festivities started.

"Right down the street! Come on, everybody!" Lucy shouted.

The kids laughed and yelled as they ran after Lucy on their way to the first house. But Sally stayed where she was, frozen in place. And everyone (especially Sally) knew that trick or treating and the Halloween party at Violet's wouldn't be as fun without him.

She turned and watched her friends, who seemed to have forgotten all about her. They were at the first house standing at the doorstep. They rang the doorbell and as soon as the door was open, they yelled "tricks or treats, money or eats!" Like magic their bags were filled with candy-and Sally was filled with envy.

She wanted to join them (oh how she wanted to join them!) but she was torn. She had a big decision to make.


	5. Chapter 5

She stood there in the dark staring at the familiar house; the one that wasn't too far from hers. All around her she could see witches and goblins, ghosts and fairy princesses making their way through the neighborhood in search of candy and all sorts of fun things. And for a split second she wished, oh how she wished, that she had gone with her friends. She could just imagine the fun she was missing and she wondered if her big brother missed her.

But when she thought about Linus and the fact that he was sitting at home all by himself instead of trick or treating or going to the Halloween party, she couldn't bring herself to catch up to Charlie Brown and the others. Instead she ran toward the house, quickly forgetting all about the missed Halloween fun.

When she reached the front door, she rang the doorbell and waited. It took a long time but finally the door was answered. Linus was clearly surprised to see her and he opened the door hesitantly.

"Hi Sally. What are you doing here?"

Sally smiled sweetly. "Hello, Linus. What are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Nothing."

"Are you sure you don't want to go trick or treating with me? Or to the Halloween party?"

He looked down at his feet. "Nope."

She sighed. Boy he sure was playing hard to get! But she was determined not to let another Halloween pass without trying. After all, a girl didn't give up tricks and treats and the Halloween party for nothing!

"Well, why don't we go to the pumpkin patch and wait for the Great Pumpkin?"

This got his attention and his eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Well, just because he didn't come last year doesn't mean that he won't be here this year. It's worth a try."

"But what about trick or treating and Violet's Halloween party?"

"Who wants to go to some dumb old party and go house to house collecting candy?"

"I thought you wanted restitution for making you miss that stuff last year?"

"I did? Well I'm an older woman now, and I don't care about those things." Her words weren't true, but it made her sound somewhat sophisticated. "So will you go to the pumpkin patch with me, Linus? Please?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I found one that's real sincere, just down the block."

He grinned at her. "You'd really do that? For me?"

She clutched her hands together and sighed. "Of course, Linus! You're my Sweet Baboo!"

"I'M NOT YOUR SWEET-Oh, never mind. Let's go. Come on, Sally."

They walked out of the house and down the sidewalk. Minutes later they came to the pumpkin patch that was the most sincere that she could find. "Linus, here's a good spot right over here!" She called to him as she hurried to the middle of the patch.

They sat down and the bright moon shone overhead as they waited for the Great Pumpkin to fly through the air with his bag of toys for all the good little children. It was the best night of her life.

And she didn't even slug Linus when he tried to hold her hand.

THE END


End file.
